In 2014, the Legislature is projected to be in session from January 8 through January 7, 2015.

In 2014, the Legislature is projected to be in session from January 8 through January 7, 2015.

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====Major issues====

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Major issues during the 2014 legislative session include a raise in the minimum wage, a cut in corporate tax rates, rebuilding airports and other infrastructure, legalizing medical marijuana and property tax rebates.<ref>[http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/01/09/3518012/after-speech-cuomo-looks-to-get.html ''www.newsobserver.com,'' "After speech, Cuomo looks to get agenda approved," accessed January 10, 2014]</ref>

===2013===

===2013===

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====Major issues====

====Major issues====

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Gun control tops the list to be addressed by legislators in 2013. Other major issues include raising the minimum wage, securing federal dollars for victims of Superstorm Sandy, education, job creation, legalizing casinos off of Native American lands and restrictions to the New York City Police Department's stop-and-frisk procedures.<ref> [http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/jan/09/ny-legislative-leaders-buckle-down-gun-controls/ ''Spokesman Review,'' "NY legislative leaders buckle down on gun controls," January 9, 2013] </ref>

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Gun control topped the list to be addressed by legislators in 2013. Other major issues included raising the minimum wage, securing federal dollars for victims of Superstorm Sandy, education, job creation, legalizing casinos off of Native American lands and restrictions to the New York City Police Department's stop-and-frisk procedures.<ref> [http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/jan/09/ny-legislative-leaders-buckle-down-gun-controls/ ''Spokesman Review,'' "NY legislative leaders buckle down on gun controls," January 9, 2013] </ref>

The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature. The Senate meets at the State Capitol in Albany. 62 Members serve in the State Senate. Each member represents an average of 312,550 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 306,072 residents.[2] The Lieutenant Governor is the President of the Senate and its presiding officer and has one vote only to break a tie. The Legislature meets every year, typically for several days a week from January through mid-June and at the call of the Legislative leaders at other times during the year.

Both Senators and Assembly members are elected on even numbered years for two-year terms without term limits. In a 1964 federal court order, issued pursuant to a reapportionment case, legislators elected in 1964 and 1965 were limited to one-year terms, but two-year terms commenced again with the 1966 election[3].

As of March 2015, New York is one of 19 states that is under divided government and is therefore not one of the state government trifectas.

Sessions

Article III of the New York Constitution outlines the legislative power for New York's government. Article III does not limit when the New York State Legislature, which the Senate is a part of, can convene in regular session. However, Section 18 of Article III does contain provisions related to special sessions of the Legislature. Section 18 states that a special session can be called by a petition of request from two-thirds of both legislative houses.

2014

In 2014, the Legislature is projected to be in session from January 8 through January 7, 2015.

Major issues

Major issues during the 2014 legislative session include a raise in the minimum wage, a cut in corporate tax rates, rebuilding airports and other infrastructure, legalizing medical marijuana and property tax rebates.[4]

2013

In 2013, the Legislature was in session from January 9 to December 31.

Major issues

Gun control topped the list to be addressed by legislators in 2013. Other major issues included raising the minimum wage, securing federal dollars for victims of Superstorm Sandy, education, job creation, legalizing casinos off of Native American lands and restrictions to the New York City Police Department's stop-and-frisk procedures.[5]

Gun control:
Following the December 14, 2012 school shooting in Newton, Connecticut, Gov. Cuomo sought to make gun control a major issue in 2013. To that end, one of the first things the Legislature did in its 2013 session was to pass a tougher assault weapons ban that included restrictions on ammunition and the sale of guns, as well as provisions to keep guns from the mentally ill who make threats. New York was the first state to pass new laws after the tragedy.[6]

Corruption:
In July 2013, amid a legislative session riddled with political corruption, Governor Andrew Cuomo established an investigative committee by executive order under the Moreland Act and New York Executive Law. The committee, joined by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, is tasked with examining public corruption, including potential wrongdoing by legislators in campaign fundraising. Any branch of the state government is under the authority of the committee, which will recommend changes to law and ethics rules in addition to the possibility of referring any misconduct cases for prosecution. A preliminary report was due by December 1, 2013, with a final report expected by the end of 2014.[7]

2012

Major issues

Redistricting was a divisive issue in 2011 and had to be dealt with in 2012. Other issues included addressing a $3.5 billion budget gap and a proposal to ban hydrofracking.[8]

2011

In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 5 through a date to be determined by the Legislature. [9]

2010

In 2010, the Senate convened its regular session on January 6. The Legislature remained in regular session throughout the year. Additionally, the Legislature was in an ongoing special session, which convened in 2009, dealing with issues of deficit reduction.[10]

2000

Elections for the office of New York's State Senate consisted of a primary election day on September 12, 2000 and a general election on November 7, 2000.

During the 2000 election, the total contributions for the 152 Senate candidates was $20,970,241. The top 10 donors were: [18]

2000 Donors, New York State Senate

Donor

Amount

Farley, Hugh T

$1,345,510

Senate Republican Campaign Cmte of New York

$747,676

Democratic Senate Campaign Cmte of New York

$520,230

New York State Trial Lawyers

$212,556

New York State United Teachers

$157,848

Cmte to Reelect Senator Bruno

$142,500

The Millennium Project

$77,000

Medical Society of the State of New York

$76,102

Espada, Pedro

$65,800

New York State Association of Realtors

$63,088

Qualifications

Article 3, Section 7 of the New York Constitution states: No person shall serve as a member of the legislature unless he or she is a citizen of the United States and has been a resident of the state of New York for five years, and, except as hereinafter otherwise prescribed, of the assembly or senate district for the twelve months immediately preceding his or her election; if elected a senator or member of assembly at the first election next ensuing after a readjustment or alteration of the senate or assembly districts becomes effective, a person, to be eligible to serve as such, must have been a resident of the county in which the senate or assembly district is contained for the twelve months immediately preceding his or her election. No member of the legislature shall, during the time for which he or she was elected, receive any civil appointment from the governor, the governor and the senate, the legislature or from any city government, to an office which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the senate, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. An election can be held as long the vacancy happened before April 1st in an election year.[19] The person elected to fill the vacant seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.[20]

Redistricting

The New York Legislature is responsible for redistricting. While there is a six person commission on redistricting, known as the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR), it only acts in an advisory role. The final deal must meet with approval from the Department of Justice.[21]

2010 census

New York received its 2010 census data on March 23, 2011. The state's growth rate was at 2.19%, well below the national rate of 9.7%.[22] Redistricting became a major issue in the state prior to the November 2010 elections. Going into the elections, the organization NY Uprising asked all candidates to sign a pledge to support nonpartisan redistricting during the following legislative session. A majority of those who won in both chambers signed the pledge.[23] Additionally, Governor Andrew Cuomo consistently reiterated his pledge to veto any new maps that were not drawn through a nonpartisan process.[24] Meanwhile, Republicans added more friction to the process in September 2011 when they were said to be considering adding a 63rd seat to the Senate. Democrats balked, saying it didn't make sense to add a seat in the chamber when slow population growth caused the state to lose seats in Congress.[25]

The two sides battled over the issue of redistricting during the entire 2011 session. Following a number of delays, LATFOR released proposed Senate and Assembly maps on January 26, 2012. The Senate plan included the additional 63rd seat. Gov. Cuomo continued to threaten to veto the maps, but began to tone down his rhetoric.[26] On March 11, LATFOR filed a bill of their final plans, which closely resembled the maps they released two months earlier. Along with this, leaders offered a constitutional amendment that would set up a new bipartisan commission on redistricting following the next census in 2020.[27] Following a walkout of Senate Democrats, the bill passed. Later that week the constitutional amendment passed. However, in order to become law, it must be passed by the next separately elected legislature and also approved by voters in a referendum.[28] With that approved, Cuomo stated, "It’s over once and for all" [29] and signed the maps into law.[30]

Senators

Salaries

As of 2013, members of the New York Legislature are paid $79,500/year and per diem of $61/half day and $171/full day. Per diem varies and is tied to the federal rate.[31]

Pension

Some legislators in New York are able to begin collecting a state pension while still serving in office and also receiving their normal salary. Under state law, if a lawmaker took office prior to 1995, they are eligible to begin collecting an annual pension once they turn 65. Those who took office after 1994 are not able to collect a pension while still in office. As of 2011, Rep. Herman Farrell (D) was the highest-paid state legislator, collecting his $113,500 salary as well as a pension of $81,619.[32]

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the New York State Senate for two years while the Republicans were the majority for 20 years. The New York State Senate is one of 13 state senates that was Republican for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013.

Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states have divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

SQLI and partisanship

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the New York state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. New York experienced a Democratic trifecta from 2009-2010. During half the years of the study, New York was ranked in the bottom-10. Its lowest ranking, finishing 43rd, occurred from 2005-2006, during a divided government. Its best ranking also occurred during a divided government, finishing 32nd in 2011.

Chart displaying the partisanship of the New York government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).